The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999 TV Movie) User Reviews

To those who want to know what eventually happened later...

[scherryesq · 6/10 · 5 January 2015]

This isn't a real review of this movie, but I wanted to respond to the reviewer who wanted to know what actually happened after the movie ended. Einhorn eventually got extradited back to the U.S., had another trial in PA in like 2001, represented himself, got convicted again, and was sentenced and is currently serving a life in prison term. For some reason, I thought he had since died, but according to Wikipedia, he is still alive. Wikipedia does have an interesting article on Einhorn and mentions this film. It's a fascinating story, to me, both as a Philadelphian who was here during his legal wrangling to fight extradition and as a lawyer.

The charmer did it...

[mikesisk · 7/10 · 29 October 2000]

A beautiful, intelligent, 21 year old woman meets a philandering activist charmer with a Jekyl and Hyde personality. 75% of the movie is about his powers of seduction -- of women, of students, of wealthy supporters -- through the strength of his IQ and his devotion to "peace" and liberal causes. It is never clear why the woman stays with him through all the abuse. He refuses to marry her, forces her to have an abortion, forces her to dance as a stripper to support him, keeps her from her family and friends, reads and marks up her journal (diary), insults her in public, etc. while he continues to play around.

Some time after she disappears, his apartment is finally searched, and the woman's body is found there in a trunk. The film portrays the torment of her family, his eventual trial, and regrettably, his escape from justice where the movie ends unsatisfactorily.

I normally wouldn't sit through a movie like this, especially for three hours, but because of the title, and his overt identification as "the unicorn" from the very first scenes, I kept hoping that he would be the one who was going to be killed, since he was such a jerk! Unless you are a fan of the male lead, or you enjoy character studies of "nice guy" psychopaths, skip this. Tom Skerit's role as the father who incidentally has a Nazi flag in his den, is disappointing (since we knew he could have solved the case in half the time if this were 'Picket Fences'). No other character portrayals are worthy of mention. Hope my review saves you from the same disappointment and waste of time.

A well made and very gripping lilm

[les6969 · 7/10 · 31 May 2011]

I found this film gripping considering it is very long and the lead characters were particularly well portrayed. In fact it would be hard to find any bad acting in this film and it is directed in such a way that you want to know what happens. The ending might be disappointing to some as it ends in 1999 when the killer was still in France. He has since been extradited and is in Jail. The real killer wasn't as good looking as the actor portraying him and it is hard to imagine why so many girls fell for him. I guess he really was charismatic and could use mind control techniques, but even more amazing is how many intelligent people got taken in by him. That older rich woman was apparently sending him money while he was on the run ( she should have been arrested as far as I am concerned ). However great little film and well worth a watch.

Thought provoking drama

[peanut356 · 30 January 2001]

I have read several books and viewed many documentaries(even an episode of "America's Most Wanted") concerning this case and still come away with the feeling that there is more to the story than is being told. Ira Einhorn was a hippie guru in Philadelphia during the 60s and 70s, and was heavily involved in thought control, paranormal, and computer information programs. He always claimed that the CIA and other government agencies were monitoring his activities, and some of this is brought out in this movie. However, for the most part this is the story from the slain woman's family point of view. I also found it very interesting that the lawyer that got Einhorn out on bail(for murder for Pete's sake!)was none other than Arlen Spector, author of the JFK "magic bullet theory" and involved in many congressional intelligence oversight activities. Watching this movie, or following the case, one can see some of the Danny Casolaro incident present. This movie is presented fairly well, and the acting is superb, but watch it and read between the lines!

True fiction!?

[dilling · 1/10 · 4 May 2004]

After seeing this film and reading that it is a documentary soap based on a 'real case', I asked myself what understanding we have of truth in visual or textual narratives. My first intuition was that in this film there are clichees put together in a stereotype way to tell a story with a conservative political message. Just the counterpiece of the more commonly told (and likewise simplistic) liberal story of the suppressed girl from the province, old fashioned and educated with narrow-minded moralist principles who moves to a urban environment and develops unimagined qualities, gets famous, discovers sex etc. Even if the story told in the "Hunt for the Unicorn-Killer" is "true" in the sense that the director was inspired by an incident with structurally the same facts - the way it is told, is absolutely incredible. Neither of the characters really wins any depth. The motives of the girl to stay with her friend who humiliates her and the motives for the friend to murder her out of jealoucy - even if the film insinuates that he never loved her stay obscure. The question why an explained pacifist kills her girl friend is answered in a too simplistic way, if the film suggests he was only having his ideas to make himself interesting and to seduce girls. I think it is also problematic to make a piece of fiction and pretend it to be real keeping the real names of persons and places. People might no longer distinguish between what was the case and what was just invented to make the plot more interesting. I think truth in narratives is more about cases being representative (even if they are invented) and told in a way sophisticated enough to come close to the complexities of real life. I rate it 1 out of 10.

What happens when good girl falls for bad boy

[sydneypatrick · 8/10 · 23 February 2002]

If you're looking to dissuade your daughters from the fella she adores but you think little of, have her sit through this. Ira Einhorn was a celebrity of the peace / earth movements of the 60s and 70s. Extremely well respected, his peacenik persona cloaked a darker side that hated women and thought very little of anything other than himself and his personal causes. When his long-time girlfriend Holly Maddux decides to leave him, she disappears and eighteen months later her decomposed body is found in a locked trunk in his apartment. Through it all, Ira maintains his innocence, doing his best to convince the world that the American Government set him up, that Holly's murder was done to 'embarrass' him. Out on bail, he flees the country and lives at large in the UK until being caught in the late 90s in France. The French, however, knowing he has been convicted in absentia of Holly's murder and faces life in prison without parole once returned to the US, refuses to extradict him. Apparently, a higher court overturned this decision and he is currently appealing a later order to be sent back. Kevin Anderson and Naomi Watts are superb as the leads; he gives you the shivers as he unveils the layers of a clearly narcissistic sociopath and she, simply, breaks your heart. How many promising young women have you known who fall victim to their own lack of identity and the whims of an abusive lover? Filmed as a tv miniseries, this is a three and a half hour vehicle for victim's rights. While the first half of this is used to set up Ira and Holly's dysfunctional relationship, the perspective of Holly's family, and the anguish they go through in trying to bring their daughter's murderer to justice, takes precedence in the second half. If the evidence weren't so damning against Ira Einhorn, this would be just another manipulative movie of the week (however well acted). As it is, it leaves the viewer haunted by the possibilities of a life brutally extinguished and infuriated by the fact that justice is continually skirted by the one person responsible for the crime.

Glad Einhorn was stopped

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 3 January 2022]

Ira Einhorn (Kevin Anderson) created Earth Day, but yeah, he also killed his girlfriend and kept her in a trunk for a long time. She was found, he never came back home and he was convicted of killing Holly Maddux (played by Naomi Watts) in absentia. Her dad (Tom Skeritt, for the ladies) works hard to bring him to justice in this story of hippie values gone wrong.

Strangely, this is like the fifth William Graham TV movie I've watched in the last few days. I'm not complaining. He also made Elvis' last narrative movie effort, Change of Habit.

This is a typical late 90s ripped from the headlines TV movie about someone who somehow stayed ahead of the law for decades and kept working on being released until he died in jail.

You know, someday I may add up all the hours of TV movies I've watched and wonder what I've done with my life, but it isn't going to be today.

The final results and psychopaths

[Edmund_Dantes · 9/10 · 19 November 2006]

I thought the movie a good one, allowing one to imagine the angst the family of a murder victim goes through.What happened after the movie left off: Ira was returned to stand another trial due to a special law passed in Pennsylvania allowing persons convicted in absentia to petition for another trial. In Ira's second trial with him presenting his story of the CIA trying to embarrass him, etc. it took the jury all of two hours to return a guilty verdict. Ira is serving a life sentence at Hautzville prison in PA. It is an interesting study how madmen can hypnotize persons into believing them. Think of, besides the Unicorn, Charles Manson, Adolph Hitler, Jim Jones and, unfortunately, many others with this ability.

The Unicorn killer in this movie the approach is nonsense

[jordondave-28085 · 4/10 · 21 July 2023]

(1999) The Hunt For The Unicorn MYSTERY/ THRILLER

Made for TV movie shown in two parts which can be seen together on one disc, based on a true story about Ira Einhorn nicknamed the 'Unicorn killer' who's a well known celebrity activist during the 60's and 70's but has an irrational behavior toward his female relationships that he lives with, particularly Holly played by Naomi Watts who went missing but then later found. Made in the same fashion as "All Good Things" except this one is a made for TV movie with the killer always getting away. I also don't like the fact how the assumed perpetrator gets away and viewers never know what this guy really looks like in real life since this is all made up- I should not have to 'google' this information on my own if this is indeed supposed to be a true story, at least provide an actual picture of what this guy really looks like at the end, for listening to this for 3 hours divided into two parts.

Never forget Holly Maddux!

[SWAbuddy · 10/10 · 2 June 2002]

I have read a previous comment on this movie, and yes it is a long movie, if it is watched all at once, like on Lifetime Movies. It was originally a two part mini-series. I think people need to remember the horrible death Holly Maddux endured. Ira Einhorn is in the public light where he loves to be, whether it is bad or good. Of course where he is concerned, their is no good. It is so important to remember Holly Maddux a young women who was trying to make a life for herself, never to marry, or have children, taken from this world at the hand of another, and in such a brutal murder. My family and I payed our respect to her grave just yesterday, along with the graves of her father and mother. We have never met the family but had such strong feelings this movie gave us, we felt compelled to find her marker and leave flowers. I hope this movie touches you the way it touched me and my family, and that you will remember HOLLY MADDUX the victim, the person, and remember the family who would not give up until justice was done. The hippie guru has now been sent home to face his crime and punishment from France. He does however get to have a new trial...Go figure...That ought to make for interesting watch as well. How can you plead innocent for something you ran from for 23 years. He's toast.

Can anyone tell me what happened in the end?

[jcurrie58 · 24 January 2004]

This excellent true life drama has just been aired on British TV - over two weeks. It was a fascinating story that sent a chill up the spine. However, I would be intrigued to know what happened to Ira Einhorn in the end. The film was made in 1999 and a note at the end of the film said he was appealing against his extradition from France, having once been successful. What has happened in the four years since? Was he finally brought to justice? If there are any Philadelphians out there who could tell me, I would love to know. Having said that, full marks to an excellent cast!